Empowering all Language Learners with 21st century skills to be INNOVATORS of the future!

Friday, July 11, 2014

Summer Blessings!

Its been a little over a month now that school has ended and I am finding myself with lots of time for reading, swimming, biking and running! Its a time to unwind from the hectic schedule of school and find ways to grow professionally and personally. I have read a total of five books, three are for professional development and the other for a little pleasure reading. Titles include, "Comprehension Through Conversation", which I HIGHLY recommend, "Writing About Reading", "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" and "Gone Girl". My principal also gave us our short summer PD book, "One Word", which has challenged us to look deep within ourselves to find our "one word" before the start of the school year. I am happy to say that our campus "one word" for the 2014-15 school year is "empower"!! I love this word because it has a "purpose" that resonates with me on so many levels of teaching! It brings a strong sense of ownership to learning and gives students a voice to make decisions that will affect them the rest of their lives! Summer is also a time for reconnecting with old and new friends past and present! These friendships sustain us when times get hectic in our daily lives. I'm thankful for my friends that encourage me to dream big and have fun all at the same time. Family of course can help bring back a sense of normalcy whatever that may be. There are no schedules, homework, alarm clocks going off and rushing out of the house to beat the school zones!! When you have teenagers in the house, some who are working, sleeping and eating are summer survival mechanisms that seem to be the only thing important these days! Of course, social media begins to take a higher precedence in their lives from the time they wake up to the time they go to bed. More time to text, facetime, @snapchat, tweet and gain new followers on @Instagram and catch up on Netflix shows (I'm just as guilty) to watch. Summer will be gone in a flash and I will be back in the classroom rearranging my furniture to get ready for another exciting year! I have so many ideas stored in my head for this year to continue our digital learning in a 1:1 iPad class. My new "hokki stools" from @donorschoose will arrive in October and I can't wait to get those in my hands. I have purchased some new bean bags to place around the room and will be setting up our new picnic table that was given to me as a gift this past year. This year I would like to add two swings in my classroom. I got this idea from an @instagram pic I saw from my friends @remind. I thought it was brilliant but don't know how I'm going to get that done with a little engineering consulting on the side (tile cork board ceilings). After I had all my desks and chairs taken out of my classroom last year, it transformed my classroom's learning in more ways imaginable and not to mention how that impacted my teaching as an educator. My summer continues with on demand PD at my fingertips through Twitter, blogs, #rscon5, #googlehangouts and lots more reading! Summer 2014 will be in the past and a new adventure will begin in my classroom with lots more new ideas, connections to cherish, classes to connect with and students to "empower" and "inspire" them in their learning!! For this I am blessed beyond measure! Happy summer!

About Me

Empowering students to create their own digital footprint, Edmodo Certified Trainer and Ambassador, Recognized by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics in 2015. Level 1 Google Certified, 28 years experience in the classroom.